Q: For the past few months I have noticed my penis becoming more bent when I have an erection. Could I actually have broken it?

A: There is nothing wrong with fun, energetic, and “athletic” sex, as long as it is pleasurable for both your partner and yourself. But be careful of injuring your penis during sexual activity by accidentally bending it in positions that our bodies were not built to do. We call this “sexual trauma,” and if it is severe, the penis could be “fractured.”

The penis is not a bone or a muscle (as most people believe), but rather a chamber that holds blood. If the chamber gets traumatized you may actually hear a snap and experience severe pain and even get black and blue. As it heals, scar tissue builds up in the penis causing an imbalance in the blood flow during sexual excitement. This can create decrease in erection strength, pain during erection and curvature that can be either mild or sometimes so severe that it can cause difficulties for you and your partner to find a position where penetration is possible. Most men can develop this medical condition known as Peyronies even without remembering any traumatic sexual event.

The good news is that 50 percent will improve on their own. This problem is not life threatening but it can make sexual relations difficult. For these men, it’s worth a visit to a urologist. By all means, sexual activity should be enjoyed to your heart’s content, but we don’t want too many cowboys hurt at the rodeo.